The effect of heterogeneous spatial distribution of soil nitrogen on regeneration of Larix principis\|rupprechtii seedlings in typical naturally\|regenerated montane forests of Northen China
Abstract:By geostatistic and pattern analysis, we quantified heterogeneous spatial distribution of soil nitrogen and studied pattern characteristics of regenerated Larix principis\|rupprechtii seedlings in typical naturally\|regenerated montane forests of Northen China. Using methods of covariance parameter analysis, the relation was determined between spatial distribution of soil nitrogen and regeneration pattern of the seedlings. Results showed both total and available nitrogen concentration were significantly different in different quadrats for both Larix principis\|rupprechtii dominated boreal\|temperate conifer forest and Betula platyphylla\|Populus davidiana dominated montane broad\|leaved forest. In the broad\|leaved stands, NO-3\|N was strongly auto\|correlated with the entire research spatial range (>70.71m), where the spatial structure accounted for 815% of total variance. However, in the conifer stands, where the soil nitrogen content was significantly lower than that of broad\|leaved stand, NO-3\|N was significantly auto\|correlated with a relatively small range (47.90m).
Regeneration pattern of Larix principis\|rupprechtii seedlings was gathering distribution. The spatial heterogeneity in regeneration pattern was mainly caused by spatial auto\|correlative factors (77.4% in conifer stand and 85.2% in broad\|leaved stand), and the effects of random factors (22.6% and 14.8% respectively) were minor. Because soil nitrogen content was relatively high in broad\|leaved stands, the relevance between regeneration and spatial nitrogen distribution was not significant and the covariance between regeneration and total nitrogen was random (R2=0.078). However, in conifer stands, due to relatively low soil nitrogen content, the covariance between regeneration and total nitrogen was generally auto\|correlated, and the impact of heterogeneous spatial distribution of soil nitrogen on regeneration pattern and process was more significant. Covariance between regeneration and NO-3\|N was spatially auto\|correlated with spatial structure accounting for 59.4%-77.7% of total variance. Regenerated seedlings was generally more in soils with higher NO-3\|N concentration or lower rate of NH+4\|N / NO-3\|N.